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Little research attention has addressed the notion of the organization as a facilitator or inhibitor of adult learning or personal growth and development. This theory paper attempts to identify individual‐level and organizational‐level factors that can influence the potential for learning and development in the workplace. Along with the presentation of a theoretical framework, a number of research propositions are generated with the aim of encouraging management scholars and practitioners to more fully consider the impact of the workplace on adult learning and development.

The Lesley University PhD program in Educational Studies offers a new specialization in adult learning and development. This hybrid, interdisciplinary degree is geared toward mid-career professionals in higher education, community services, non-formal adult learning, and a number of other fields. Since 2008, the program has graduated 36 students whose dissertations have a strong focus on practitioner research. This case study covers the planning process of an interdisciplinary faculty team responding to the need for educators to teach and research adult learners. The guiding philosophy of adult learning and the delivery method of this competency-based curriculum are explained. Students present a research interest upon application and begin to develop a dissertation question in their first year. They attend a weeklong campus residency every semester where they work on competencies through workshops and lectures. This is followed by online course completion in dialogue with faculty mentors and peers. Students finish 45 credits before beginning the dissertation. The importance of a cohort learning community, advising as pedagogy, online support, library resources, qualifying examination, pilot study, and dissertation preparation are discussed. Data gathered from a current self-study highlight both the strengths and the challenges posed by this unique program.

This paper aims to present a model for the quality assurance of digital educational material that is appropriate for adult education. The proposed model adopts the software quality standard ISO/IEC 9126 and takes into account adult learning theories, Bloom’s taxonomy of learning objectives and two instructional design models: Kolb’s model (the learning cycle) and Gagne, Briggs and Wager’s model.

The structure of this paper is as follows: in the second section, the theory of “the learning cycle of Kolb” is discussed. The third section discusses the model of Gagne, Biggs & Wager. The fourth section discusses and categorizes the characteristics and sub-characteristics of the quality of digital educational material. The fifth section discusses and categorizes the quality attributes of digital educational material. Moreover, the correlation of the sub-characteristics of the material with the model of Gagne and that of Kolb are examined.

The authors developed a quality model that adopts the structure of ISO/IEC 9126 standard, using basic notions of theories of adult education to define its characteristics and sub-characteristics. The model has been successfully applied in the quality evaluation of educational material distributed to distance learning adult students.

The innovative combination of an established quality model with sound educational theories yields a comprehensive model that allows both a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the appropriateness of digital educational material. The applicability of the model is demonstrated by applying it to specific digital materials specially developed for adult education.

The purpose of this paper is to present a synthesis of the origins and theoretical frameworks of adult mentoring practices in educational and workplace settings along with an analysis and critique of their application to mentoring processes.

The authors systematically analyzed books and articles published in peer-reviewed journals from 1978 to 2012 using qualitative meta-summary and qualitative meta-synthesis methodological approaches.

This systematic review of the literature resulted first, in an organized, historical framework of theories of adult mentoring in academic and workplace and educational contexts from 1978 to 2012. Second, it provided information regarding the recognized challenges in traditional mentoring endeavors that led to the more expansive concept of developmental networks and participation in communities of practice. Third, it served as a foundation for a critique of the theories as applied to mentoring relationships and programs.

The paper provides the theoretical foundation for future empirical work in the field of adult mentoring in educational and workplace settings.

This paper is the first to condense the vast theoretical frameworks that inform the field of adult mentoring in the twenty-first century.

This is a case study paper. A major research goal of this study is to extend the existing theories of learning organization put forth in the 4I model by adding more complicated ideas to it. One minor goal of this research is to show that the first stage of organizational learning, “intuiting”, is the hardest to implement when starting a learning organization. Particular attention should be paid to this step, and with the addition of adult learning theory, the possibility of facing a negative situation should be reduced. A second less important goal is to explain how to assess organizational learning, and how the flow of single‐ and double‐loop learning takes place within a learning organization.

This study adopted a combination of qualitative and quantitative survey methods to study the effectiveness of the new mode of transformational activity practiced in Firm A.

Statistical evidence showed that the practice was successful. It solved the issue that expertise and top managers mostly protest against learning.

This paper brings a new and more adaptive perspective for building a learning organization upon existing organizational learning theories. Through this case study, the integration and transformation from tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge, intuition to institution (the 4i model), and individual level to organizational level are illustrated. The practices of single‐loop and double‐loop learning are also well depicted by this study.

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is one of many approaches that enhance the quality of education by moving away from teacher-centered instructional methods and toward more student-directed approaches. This chapter describes the adult-centered program delivered by The College of New Rochelle, School of New Resources – a northeastern, liberal arts institution that is a pioneer in educating adult learners. A model program for educating today’s adult learner is introduced with particular emphasis on faculty implementation of IBL in the classroom and student’s responses to the Life Arts Project (LAP), which is incorporated in each six credit course seminar. Through the LAP, adult learners investigate course content through exploration and discovery, participate in critical inquiry, investigate various research methodologies, and experience project-based learning.

The purpose of this review is to survey the literature addressing the professional development of academic librarians in the context of adult education principles.

This article is a literature review.

The review reveals that among those activities incorporating concepts from the adult education field andragogy, transformational learning, communities of practice and instructional design are most prevalent.

To date, no other literature review considers adult education concepts in professional development of academic librarians.

This chapter analyses the current situation and perceptions of quality assurance (QA) in adult education (AE) in Latvia. In the Latvian context, QA in AE is a challenge. According to recent studies, QA should have a formative character in order to facilitate targeted benefits for adult learners, whereas in practice AE in Latvia is more focussed on the institutional perspective rather than the individual’s needs and wishes. This is in contrast with the humanistic approach to adult learning and andragogy principles, which emphasise learner-centred education. The aim of the chapter is to research opportunities for improving the QA process in AE in Latvia in order to increase personal benefits for an individual. The systematic review of scholarly papers, monographs, scientific reports on QA in AE conducted in Latvia in the twenty-first century indicated a contradiction between the theoretical concepts applied to AE in Latvia and the implementation of the QA process in practice. This chapter contributes to the overall understanding of the terminology used in AE in the country, analyses the prevailing concepts and elaborates conclusions for QA improvements based on humanistic pedagogy principles.

First, to explore the application of e‐learning as a medium for workplace learning, as a form of adult learning and organisational learning from a theoretical point of view, second, to review empirical studies on recent solutions to pedagogical problems encountered in workplace learning in general and in e‐learning in particular, and finally, to consider the challenges facing the further development of e‐learning solutions targeted at the workplace.

The paper reviews theories of adult learning, workplace learning and organisational learning and brings out main pedagogical implications of these theories from an e‐learning point of view. Some empirical studies in which electronic networks and communication tools have been utilised in workplace learning are also described.

The development of successful e‐learning solutions for the use of work organizations requires integrating research knowledge from different sources: theories of the learning organization, sociocultural theories of learning, and cognitive theories of learning.

Based on empirical examples and the literature review pedagogical challenges and theory‐based guidelines are presented for the design of e‐learning environments for the workplace. These include integration of theoretical knowledge with participants' practical experience, support for the explication of implicit knowledge, and encouragement of collaboration and knowledge exchange between different groups of people.

This paper integrates different theoretical approaches for the design of e‐learning environments of work organizations.

The globalization of the market economy and the technology revolution present multiple demands for education to meet the needs of the knowledge society. In this global context, work-based learning (WBL) has become increasingly valuable and critical for individuals and governments to enhance employability and to produce competitive workforces. Yet, the interdependence nature of globalization urges us to learn from each other the various theoretical and methodological approaches to WBL. Applying an appreciative inquiry, the purpose of this paper is to propose the transformation of current WBL practices by integrating or “meshing” Confucian Learning Model (CLM) into Western approaches for sustainable human development in this multi-cultural economic-driven global context.

This study is grounded in literature review and critical examination of profound pedagogical theories and practices from both Western and Eastern perspectives. Western education philosophies, learning theories, and models are critically examined and contrasted with CLM an important Eastern perspective in order to identify the major limitations of current WBL development. Appreciative inquiry and comparative view are applied as methods to highlight the significance of integrating or meshing CLM into the Western approaches to transform current WBL practices in this global context.

WBL has greatly benefited current workforce development worldwide, which is well documented in the literature. However, through futuristic and holistic human development perspectives, current WBL development is seen as moving toward pragmatism and utilitarianism due to overemphasizing the use of education for economic competition and for satisfying employers’ immediate work/job needs. Through an “appreciative eye” and comparative lens, this paper helps identify an urgent need to integrate or mesh CLM, an important Eastern perspective, into Western perspectives for enhanced theoretical foundations and more holistic and systemic practical approaches to transform current WBL practices for global sustainable human development.

This paper employs a unique method of “appreciative eye” and comparative lens through which scholars and practitioners may identify what is missing but needed in current WBL development in the global context. It is through this unique approach that this paper increases the reader’s awareness of the limitations of current WBL practices, guides them to envision how to fully prepare and release the potential of the twenty-first century workforce, and calls for integrating or “meshing” CLM into the various Western approaches for a more holistic perspective for the possible transformation of current WBL practices worldwide.